This invention pertains to surgical splints for supporting a flaccid penis in an erected attitude during sexual intercourse, and more particularly, it pertains to a male brace that has smooth surfaces and resilient straps which are operable with one hand for easy installation or removal of the brace.
Male braces are used by those suffering from erectile dysfunction affections and are alternatives to medication, vigour-enhancing vitamins, surgical interventions and inflatable implants. There are numerous devices to available in the prior art which are usable by males in order to improve their abilities to participate in a sexual intercourse. Some of these devices are described in the following documents:
U.S. Pat. No. 853,410, issued on May 14, 1907 to E. D. Huebner;
U.S. Pat. No. 1,362,398, issued on Dec. 14, 1920 to L. H. Crawford et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 1,585,861, issued on May 25, 1926 to W. H. Huff,
U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,588, issued on Feb. 17, 1970 to R. S. Walters;
U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,007, issued on Nov.18, 1975 to R. M. Line;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,712, issued on Feb. 21, 1978 to A. F. Wright;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,662, issued on Apr. 21, 1981 to F. W. Allinson;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,663, issued on Apr. 21, 1981 to F. W. Allinson;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,449,521, issued on May 22, 1984 to J. S. Panzer;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,672,954, issued on Jun. 16, 1987 to J. S. Panzer;
U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,447, issued on Oct. 10, 1989 to M. V. Tsirjulnikov et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,744, issued on Nov. 19, 1991 to Z. A. Zusmanovsky;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,340, issued on Sep. 1, 1998 to V. Gekhter et al.;
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,686, issued on Jun. 15, 1999 to J. Kohut;
Russian document SU 1,826,885 published in July 1993;
Russian document RU 2,003,307 published in November 1993.
It is believed that the prior art devices have been used in the past with varying degrees of success. It is believed that the limited success of these devices is due to the fact that some of these braces have protruding clips, hinges and other ferrules which tend to irritate the skin of the user or of his partner. Some devices of the prior art have converging surfaces at either extremity relative to the longitudinal axis thereof. These converging surfaces tend to pinch the skin during sexual intercourse or catch pelvis hair, resulting in much discomfort to the user or to his partner. Some other prior devices comprise rod-like elements and bendable components, the installation of which requires intricate manipulations that are only understood by the mechanically-minded individuals.
As such, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved male brace which does not have any protruding edges or converging surfaces relative to the longitudinal axis thereof, and which has a self-explanatory structure that is usable without instruction.
The present invention provides a masculine brace for supporting a flaccid penis during sexual intercourse. The masculine brace has soft and smooth shapes free of crevices and sharp edges. The masculine brace has a self-explanatory appearance and is manufacturable in various sizes and in configurations that are operable with one hand.
In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a masculine brace having a stiff splint member which has an elongated channel configuration, a rear end and a front end. A first pair of straps extends from the rear end of the stiff splint member and jointly define a rear circular clamp oriented transversely relative to the stiff splint member for clamping a penis at its base. A second pair of straps extends from an intermediate region along the stiff splint member at a distance from the first pair of straps, and jointly define a front circular clamp oriented transversely relative to the stiff splint member for clamping a penis at an intermediate region thereof. The masculine brace also comprises a bulb affixed to the front end of the stiff splint member. The bulb has a circular projection in line with the front and rear circular clamps.
The principal advantages of the masculine brace according to the present invention are that the front and rear circular clamps are usable for holding the stiff splint member against a lower region of a penis for supporting the penis in an erected attitude, and the stiff splint member and the bulb are usable for simulating an action of an erected penis when that penis is affected by an erectile dysfunction affection.
In another feature of the present invention, the material of construction of the masculine brace comprises a skeletal structure made of a rigid and resilient material and a coating made of a soft, smooth and sanitary material. The masculine brace is manufacturable in various sizes and various stiffness.
In another aspect of the present invention, the straps in the first and second pairs of straps comprise inside straps and outside straps, and the inside straps are joined to each other by a tendon. The straps in the front and second pairs of straps are thereby operable simultaneously with one hand.
In another aspect of the present invention, one of the rear straps supports a pubis cushion that is usable in cooperation with the symphysis bone of the user to generate thrust.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the first and second straps extend helically from an intermediate region of the stiff splint member in a cross-over arrangement, toward the rear end of the stiff splint member. The first and second straps define with the stiff splint member a cylindrical clamping cavity, for simultaneously clamping a penis along a mid-region and a base thereof. This feature of the present invention is advantageous for allowing the operation of the straps using one hand, working near the rear end of the masculine brace.
In yet a further feature of the present invention, the masculine brace also comprises a U-shaped thrust flange mounted to the rear end of the stiff splint member. The thrust flange adds comfort and convenience to the use of the masculine brace.
Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.